


It Wasn't Until High School

by Tortellini



Series: FrUk Week 2k18 [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Punk, Angst with a Happy Ending, Based on a Tumblr Post, Bullying, Countries Using Human Names, Developing Friendships, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Epic Friendship, FrUK Week 2018, Friendship, Friendship/Love, High School, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Inspired By Tumblr, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Male Friendship, Pastels, Popularity, Punk, Romantic Friendship, Sad with a Happy Ending, Tumblr: otpprompts, Wordcount: 100-500
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-19 16:34:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15513972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tortellini/pseuds/Tortellini
Summary: FrUk Week 2018, Day 2: Punk/Prep + Punk/PastelHigh School AU. Francis Bonnefoy makes a rather unusual friend who just may be more trouble than he's worth. Or not.Oneshot/drabble





	It Wasn't Until High School

Francis Bonnefoy was ready for high school to be over with by now. He was a senior. It wasn't that he particularly disliked it even. He had good friends. He had plenty of partners, male and female, over the past few years too. But now he was bored. He just wanted things to be done with and to move onto...well, better things.

He was walking down the hall towards one of his two best friends, Antonio, when someone shouldered past him. Surprised, he paused.

"Watch where you're going, Frog," Arthur Kirkland snapped in all of his glory.

Arthur was the opposite of Francis himself. That is to say, Arthur was a piece of work. He dressed in black t-shirts, and he wore heavy makeup, and he had a pierced lip! Some people even said he had a tattoo. Somewhere. To be honest, Francis didn't mind him too much, even if it always seemed like Arthur had a bone to pick with him. Maybe the fact that he ignored him pissed him off even more.

But that was what he did. He ignored him.

* * *

Lunchtime came around and Francis was starving. He had a different lunch from Antonio, and Gil was suspended for doing something dumb, so for once he found himself without one of his friends to eat with. Sure, he had others too. It wasn't the same. He bought his lunch--it smelled delicious--and headed outside. 

"Mind if I sit here?" he said brightly to Arthur Kirkland. He was sitting alone. And even though he knew he disliked him...Francis still didn't like to see people sit alone like that.

Arthur scoffed. "What, here to try to pick me up, slut? To add to your list?"

Francis frowned. But he didn't say no, so he sat down anyway. "What are you eating?"

Arthur looked surprised that he hadn't run away. "...bagged lunch."

Francis thought about laughing but stopped himself. He'd take it the wrong way. "Anything good?"

"God, no. My brothers are terrible cooks."

Francis did laugh at that. "That's terrible. I have a little sister, I've been trying to teach her how to cook."

Arthur looked surprised. "I didn't know you had a sister."

Did he know a lot about him though. "Mm. Her name is Michelle. She's a freshman this year."

"Oh." Arthur picked at his sandwich. "That little dark girl?"

"She's adopted."

"That's sweet."

There was a nice silence then. Arthur's tense shoulders had relaxed. Francis bit into his apple.

"You know," Francis said after a moment then. "It's weird we don't actually hang out. Be friends." Arthur didn't say anything. He took that as a chance to continue. "Do you want to be friends?"

"This isn't primary school."

"I'm serious." Francis wasn't going to let his bad mood get to him.

Arthur paused. His eyebrows furrowed. And then: "Yes."

He stuck his hand out, and Francis took it, giving it a shake.

"No one's ever asked that of me before, you know." Arthur said, and then he sort of laughed. Francis stared at him. It was pretty much the first time he heard him laugh. "I know that sounds stupid."

"C'mon. Other people had to have asked you," Francis said gently.

Arthur gave him a look.

"You have friends, so..."

Arthur continued to give him a look.

"...oh."

"I don't need friends." Arthur said immediately, narrowing his eyes. "Don't you give me that tone of voice, Frog. Don't you dare. I don't want, nor do I even need, your pity."

"I'm not pitying you!" Francis put up his hands. "Sorry. But. I'd like to be your friend."

"You are now. It's done."

* * *

"So you know, _mon ami,"_ Francis asked one day a few weeks later, draping an arm around Arthur as the two of them walked. It was amazing how quickly things had changed. Amazing, and crazy too of course. "Why do you mess with people so much?"

Arthur smirked an rose an eyebrow. "I only messed with you."

"Why me, then, hm?"

Now Arthur paused. He actually stopped walking. "I'm sorry," he said. "That's the only time I'm going to say it but--I'm sorry."

Francis' eyes softened. "It's all right."

"My brothers...it's not an excuse. Definitely not. But my brothers aren't the easiest to live with." He took a deep breath. "Over the summer I came out to them. And I thought they'd be happy for me, because they're my family, right? Right?"

"Right," Francis echoed, even though he knew where this was going.

"I got a black eye." As if he could still feel it, Arthur touched his eye. "Said I was lucky that I didn't get kicked out."

That was why he had been such an asshole to him before. Francis could understand. He couldn't blame him either.

"I'm sorry," he said, and this time Arthur didn't get mad at him for it. He didn't tell him to stop either, or to shut up, or anything like that. Instead he just nodded, resigned.

Francis stared at his friend, at his spiky hair and at his piercings, and at the look on his face.

He took a step forward, and then he pulled him into his arms.


End file.
